Collector shoe



A. MORNINGSTAR 2,461,696

' COLLECTOR SHOE Feb. 15, 1949.

Filed Nov. 16, 1944 Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECOLLECTOR SHOE Alfred Morningstar, Hammond, Ind. Application November16, 1944, Serial N0. 563,774 Claims. (Cl. 191-49) elevated, subway andstreetcars motivated and impelled by means of contact rails, contactbars or contact wires.

The object of my invention is to provide a springless collector device,one member of which, the collector shoe, may by the simple expedient ofunhooking or lifting out and away from the other member, acounterweight, be quickly and easily removed for necessary repairs orreplacement without the need of tools to unbolt, unscrew or unfasten thecollector shoe member upon or replacement is most frequent.

A further object of my invention and of my new and useful improvement incollector shoes is to prevent waste of time and materials incident towhich wear is greatest and the occasion for repair the repairs andreplacement of collector shoes constructed of more or less complexsingle or component units.

A further object of my invention is to provide means of maintainingconstant and assured sliding contact of the collector shoe with theelectrical contact element by means of a counterweight and its pressureupon the collector shoe to suit varying conditions.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings and thereferencecharacters marked thereon which form a part of my specification. Similarcharacters refer to similar parts in the several figures of thedrawings.

Fig. 1 is a side view of my invention as shown in operation with thefractional part of trolley and motor shown for illustration only and nota part of my invention, depicting one of the modes of mounting mycollector shoe to the frame of a truck or cab.

Fig. 2 is a broadside View of supporting means of collector device andof the device as it would appear in use on inverted (underside) thirdrail,

as viewed from the right handside of carrier,

truck or vehicle.

part of member B of Fig. 6 shown broken away.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of members A and B in theirassembled relationshiptoeach other upon pin or bolt l2 as viewed alonglines 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the two main members A and Bcomprising my collector device.

Referring first to Fig. 6, A shows the collector member, which aboutmidway of its longitudinal extremes has an intermediate saddle l6, whichdefines the transversely extending slot or recess II, and which slotnormally rests upon the pin or bolt I2, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, ina manner which will bring one end of the arm of the collector shoemember to rest squarely within side opening recess l3 of counterweightmember B (Fig. 6). The convex surface of said saddle 10 may preferablybe substantially parallel with the contact surface l4.

To make allowance for rocking or swaying as the contact surface l4travels upon or in contact with a non-level contact rail, contact bar orcontact wire, a transverse'curvature or rounded nonstraight surface l5,of recess II, is provided, as illustrated in Fig. 3. An electricityconducting cable connecting means is provided through passage orperforation IS in said counterweight body,

and the cable I1 may be securely, though releasably, held by means ofset screw l8 at hole [9 as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6.

The counterweight member of my new and improved collector shoe device ispreferably provided with a detachable copper, brass or alloy insert 20a,either molded in or suitably fastened or secured to recess l3, by meansof a screw 2|, or it may be held .by flange or other suitable means. Oneend portion of contact shoe member A, which is opposite the contactsurface thereof, has fused or otherwise secured therein and thereupon acopper, brass oralloy element 20, the material of which is an eihcientconductor. Any suitable mode of attachment or fusionmay be followed inthe mounting of element 20, though the mode as stated is preferable andpermits quick and easy replacement as normally these parts wear away ina much shorter time than the "life of the entire device.

The outer end portions of the arms 22-11. and 22-h formed by thebifurcation of counterweight member B have formed therein a passage orpassages 23 which are adapted to receive and releasably hold a pin orbolt 92 which pin or bolt I2 is connected to any suitable portion of aportable cab or frame thereof, such as for example by bracket or support24 illustrated in Fig. l. The pin or bolt I 2 in the alternative mayhavea head 25 at one end, and a perforation or hole 26 at the other endfor the reception of a removable cotter pin 21 or the like. The style ofmounting, illustrated by bracket 2 l, may be on rigid or swivel base,frame or support, and may be varied according to the needs and nature ofthe conveyor and other movable electro-motive means requiring a movingcontact with an electrified rail or cable.

In instances wherethe means for mounting my separable collector deviceis not in itself nonconductively mounted with respect to the cab orframe thereof, it is important to insulate the pivotally movablecollector shoe and said separable counterweight from the bracket orother equivalent unit to which it may be pivotally connected. Iillustrate one such means of nonconductively mounting the said device inFig. "3 by a pair of bushing-like sleeves 28 and ZB-a which are mountedin the passages 23 of the respective arms of the counterweight member B,"the inner flanged portions of saidsleeves acting as spacers to maintainthe intermediate portion of'the arm of the collector shoe member spacedfrom'the bracket arms. Said sleeves 28 and 2ta are formed of fabric orother suitable nonconductive material, and preferably extend outwardly'beyond'the outer side surfaces of the arms of the supporting bracket 24as shown in Fig. 3. Optional washers 29 are mounted about the pro'ecting end portions of said sleeves 28 and 28a to aid in maintainingthe head 25 of pivoting bolt 12 and the cotter pin 21 from the arms ofsupporting bracket 24. Accordingly, the current will be prevented fromentering the supporting means of my collector device or any part of thecab or frame to which it is connected.

In; the illustration of Fig. 1 my collector device is shown as pivotallymounted in the depending bracket '24 with the beveled collector shoecontact surface It illustrated'in 'it-snormal position of slidingcontact with a supported downwardly extending rail '30, and in which thesaid rail 30 is illustrated in cross section and suitably mounted'upon asupporting truss or post 3!, only a fragment of which is illustrated,and which also supports .a traction rail 32 which is also shown in crosssection therein.

Reference numeral 33 designates an illustrative end fragment of aconventional frame, and numeral 34 designates an end fragment of an axleon which is mounted a conventional traction wheel 35, it beingunderstood that said axle of said traction wheel is operativelyconnected to conventional driving means (not shown). Reference numeral36 illustrates diagramatically a fragment of a conventional electricmotor which is :normally positioned in any suitable manner and desirablelocation with respect to the portable frame and cab. The cable l'l, onlya fragment of which is illustrated'in the upper right hand portion ofFig. 4,;leads to and is connected to the 'electrical' p'ower unit of the"portable cab,

one diagmamati c illustration of which power unit'ls illustrated at 36in Fig. 1. I

The contact shoe member A is readily and easily removed from thecounterweight'bodyB by simply raising the counterweight upward and awayfrom the elongated end portion of the collector shoe and disengaging thecollector shoe member from the pin or bolt. The simplicity of removal ofthe contact shoe member from the counterweight body reduces the cost oflabor in "making necessary replacements, repairs and reconditioning ofparts or of the several units of my collector shoe device.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the embodiment of theinvention herein specifically described without departing from orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention :or any featuresthereof, and nothing herein shall be construed as limitations upon theinvention, its concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or anypart thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A collector shoe device having two main members comprising anelongated collector shoe member having a transversely extending recessintermediate its ends and having a collector shoe integral with one endthereof adapted to engage a conductor rail, and a counterweight memberhaving one end portion recessed to form two arms with transverselyaligned passages therein for the reception of a pin when the device isoperatively connected and an undercut flat topped recess, said two mainmembers adapted to be .normally held in their proper relative positionby linking the counterweight member to supporting means by a pinextending through said passages,

, and placing the collector shoe member at its recess over the pin withthe end opposite said shoe extending under and into the flat-toppedrecess of said counterweight member.

2. A collector shoe device having two main members comprising anelongated collector shoe member having a transversely extending Jrecessintermediate its ends and having a contact surface at each end thereof;a counterweight memher having one of its ends bifurcated to form twoarms, said arms having transversely alignedpassages therein; a pinrem'ovably mounted -in said apertures of said arms and extending throughsaid recess of said collector shoe member, said collector shoe memberbeing normally pivotally mounted on said pin and being separablyremovable; an 'apertured bracket for supporting said 'pin, said pinbeing mounted in the apertures of said bracket, the "other end portionof the counterweight member having a portion thereof .engaging thecollector shoe member at its end opposite the contact surface end tonormally hold said collector shoe member in contact with an electricalconductor unit.

'3. In a collector shoe device, supporting means adapted to be fixedlyconnected to a movable carrier or the like, the-combination comprisingan elongated collector shoe member having a transversely extendingrecess intermediate its ends and having a contact surface on one face ofsaid member at one end thereof, the recess thereof being slightlyrounded to allow for rocking motion as the collector shoe member travelsover a rail or conductor unit; .an elongated counterweight member havingan inner end portion and having its opposite end bifurcated and-havingtransverse passages adjacent the end of said bifurcated end,' a pinremovably mounted in said supportingpmeans and in .said passages ofsa'idcounterweight member, 'the collectorshoe' member being removablyconnectable withand to the counterweightbody by placingits'recessedportion over thepin and its other end portion under and intoengagement with the inner end portion of the counterweight. member.

4. A collector shoe device comprising an elongated collector shoe memberhaving a transversely extending recess intermediate its ends and havinga collector shoe on one end thereof, the said recess being slightlyrounded to. allow for rocking motion .as the collector shoe passes overa rail; "an elongated counterweight body having removably mounted in oneend bifurcated and having a recessed portion opening into saidbifurcation, said bifurcated end having transverse aligned apertures; apin removably mounted in the apertures of said counterweight body andextending through said recess of said collector shoe member, saidcollector shoe member being removably connected to and pivotally mountedwith respect to said pin, said pin normally rockably engaging saidcollector shoe member recess; a metal contact element mounted in saidrecessed portion of said counterweight member facin contacting elementmounted on the adjacent end portion of said elongated collector shoemember.

5. In an easily removable collector shoe device, a member forming acounterweight having one end bifurcated and terminating in two passagedarms, and having a longitudinal recessed portion downwardly; and a metalextending into said bifurcation, said bifurcated end being connectableto supporting means; a pin the passages of said arms; a bracket in whichthe ends of said pin are supported; an elongated collector shoe memberhaving a longitudinally extending contact arm 6 formed integraltherewith, said arm having a transversely extending downwardly openingand slightly rounded recess intermediate its ends normally engaging saidpin to provide for rocking-like engagement thereof; and a contactelement on said arm normally contacting the surface partially definingthe recessed portion on said counterweight, the said counterweightmember being adapted to normally hold the upper and outer portion ofsaid collector shoe in contacting engagement with an electrical powercar rier unit.

ALFRED MORNINGSTAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent: Y

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 741,392 Blakesley Oct. 13, 1903842,852 Boyd Feb. 5, 1907 886,319 Farnham Apr. 28, 1908 924,829

Potter June 15, 1909

